When I woke up, I was surprised to find Kai still in bed with me.
I half expected to wake up alone, to find another letter on the kitchen table, but lying in his arms was so much better.
I didn't want to move, afraid that once we were out of bed, we'd say our goodbyes and everything I was dreading would be set in motion.
Kai must have sensed that I was awake, sitting up in bed, about to climb out.
I quickly turned over and grabbed his arm and he turned around and looked at me with sadness in his eyes.
"Five more minutes.. Please." I practically begged him.
He smiled softly, lying back down, wrapping his arms around me as I snuggled into him.
My chest felt heavy, an ache swirling inside me and I had to remind myself why I had to leave Kai.
While I was still on Zandara, I wouldn't be able to give him my full attention. He didn't want me here either, so my thought process led me to believe that without my presence, Kai would realise that the only thing he felt towards me was love.
He needed to see that he wasn't tainted with a gene that he believed he had, and I planned on enlising Kiara to guide him in the right direction while I was gone.
"How soon can Kordin arrange a ship to Earth?" I wondered.
"A ship will be ready within an hour. It's the rest of it that takes longer. He will need to produce documents for Emrys, manipulate the banking system, organise your housing and set up communication." He sighed.
"Communication?" I muttered, looking up at him.
"A way for you to signal that you're ready to come home.. Here.. Back to Zandara."
"Home." I breathed, feeling emotional. "So I won't be able to talk to anyone once I'm back on Earth?"
"No. We can't risk anyone finding out about us. It isn't really for our safety, more so for yours. If the authorities on Earth suspected that you were communicating with another world, it wouldn't end well for you."
"Ahh, right. I understand."
I thought that I'd be able to communicate with someone once I was on Earth, snd knowing that I'd be completely cut off made my stomach churn.
What if Kai didn't want me to come back? What if he preferred our time apart? What if something happened and the ships were all destroyed? What if they forgot about me and never returned? How would I know?
My heart raced in my chest and I began to question my decision to leave.
I couldn't force Kai to want me and he had made it clear that I was to leave. I was on an alien planet for one reason and one reason only and that reason for being here had changed.
I couldn't be selfish and cause him pain every time he looked at me, and that's what I was doing with every passing moment.
Our night together was incredible, but I knew that it was our goodbye.
Sighing, I arched my neck to look at him. "How long before everything's ready? How long until I leave?"
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, hoping that I'd get at least a week.
"A day." Kai breathed, and my stomach flipped at his words.
When he said the rest takes longer, I didn't realise it would only take a day.
How would I prepare myself in just one day?
I closed my eyes, taking in the moment, breathing in Kai's scent and relishing the feeling of being in his arms.
I forced my tears at bay, refusing to let myself crumble and ruin the moment.
My wristband chimed, forcing me to sit up. Kiara was calling, and that's when I knew that my day was about to start.
I let it ring out, deciding that I'd call her back, and when I turned around, Kai was in the process of getting out of bed.
Once he was in the bathroom, I got dressed for the day and went down the stairs to make myself a coffee.
I hesitated for a moment when I grabbed my cup.
Do I make a coffee for Kai too? I wondered.
I wasn't sure if he was going to leave or stay a little longer.
The night that we'd had was beginning to feel like a one night stand, but zaviours don't do that.
What do I do? Coffee for one or coffee for two?
It was a difficult decision, and my brain was turning to mush just thinking about it, but thankfully, Kai walked into the kitchen and solved my problem for me.
"I'll make the coffees." He smiled awkwardly.
"Thanks." I muttered, leaving him to it while I went to freshen up.
Once I was finished in the bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror. The bruise that Kordin had given me had faded dramatically but the bags under my eyes were still lingering.
I contemplated weather or not a dash of make-up would help but I decided against it. I wasn't exactly trying to impress anyone and I didn't feel the need to change myself.
I am who I am, if people don't like it then that's on them, I thought.
Back down the stairs, I tentatively made my way into the kitchen. Kai was sat at the breakfast bar, sipping his coffee, and two bowls of fruit were on the table.
"Breakfast?" He smiled, turning to face me.
I don't know why I suddenly felt awkward around him, muttering a 'thank you' as I sat opposite him.
I picked up my coffee and took a sip, sneaking a peek at him over my cup.
I didn't know what to say. It was almost as if I'd lost the ability to speak and I looked down at my bowl to avoid looking at Kai.
"What's wrong?" He asked, like everything was normal.
I peered up at him with a sigh.
"It doesn't feel right." I muttered.
"I'm not following." Kai looked confused.
"Leaving.. We're sat here, eating breakfast, sipping coffee and acting like everyrhing in fine and dandy. Last night was incredible, we woke up together as usual and now this. Remind me again, why am I leaving?"
Kai put his coffee cup down and sighed, running his hand through his hair.
"You're right.. Last night was incredible and I loved being able to touch you and hold you, but it was also difficult. I still can't forgive myself for what I did to you and I'm still not sure that I can trust myself not to hurt you. The pull that I feel for you now feels stronger than ever and it scares me. If you don't leave, I'm afraid that I'll hurt you again, and if that happens, I would rather die than add to the pain that I already feel. You are my life, Daisy, but you have to leave, for both our sakes."
I nodded, holding back my tears as I swallowed hard. "And when I return?" I looked into his eyes. "What happens then?"
"Hopefully I'll be in a better place. I need to work on myself, learn to trust myself again and be confident that I'm in control. I'm not giving up on you, Daisy, I won't ever do that so please don't think that I don't want you because I really fucking do."
Through all of the emotions he still had it in him to make me chuckle, and I quickly stood to my feet and walked around the breakfast bar.
"I love you so much." I sniffed, wrapping my arms around him.
"I love you too, baby, more than anything in the universe." He pulled me close, hugging me back, tighter than ever.
After a little cry, we finished breakfast before Kai decided that it was time he left.
"Will I see you before I go?" I wondered.
"If Kordin can fast track everything today, he will make sure that your ship leaves tonight. Call me before you're due to leave and I'll meet you at the hanger." He spoke quietly.
I nodded. "Ok."
Standing by the door, a lump formed in my throat as we said our goodbyes.
"I'll see you later." Kai breathed.
"Bye." I whispered, struggling to keep my tears back.
His hands cupped my face and he lent down, kissing my lips softly.
I held on to his hoodie, pulling him closer, not wanting to let him go, but eventually, I did.
I couldn't stand to watch him leave so I closed the front foor, sucked up every bit of strength that I had, held in my tears and called Kordin.
"Daisy, how can I help you?" He sounded surprised.
Probably because I called him a hypocrite and stormed out of his house.
"I've decided to accompany Emrys back to Earth." I mumbled into my wrist.
"Oh.. Umm, ok then."
"The earlier the better. How soon can everything be arranged?"
"I'll have to make a few calls to set the ball rolling, but I can't guarentee that it will be today. Are you sure about this, Daisy? It seems a little sudden."
"Yes, absolutely. I need to leave as soon as possible." I stated, as confidently as I could.
"Ok, leave it with me. I'll be in touch."
"Thank you, Kordin." I breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're welcome." He said, before ending the call.
Checking the time, it was almost eight-thirty, so I shoved my boots and coat on and headed out the door.
I glanced at the snowmen, stopping briefly to add a little dog to the family. I promised Emrys that I'd build one, so that's what I did.
I took a quick selfie, chuckling when I looked at it and headed for the shuttle.
I decided to go and see Emrys first and give him the news that he'd been waiting for, and while I was on my way, I decided to call Kiara.
"Hey, I was just about to call you." She spoke softy.
"Yeah, sorry I didn't answer earlier, I was a little preoccupied."
"With Kai, I'm guessing?"
"Let me guess, Haldon told you?"
"No, actually, Kordin did. And he also gave me some bad news."
"Bad news? Is everything ok?" I wondered.
"You're going back to Earth, of course it's not."
I closed my eyes, rubbing my head.
"I was literally calling to let you know. Kordin works fast, doesn't he?" I chortled, lightening the mood.
"Total gossip that one." She laughed.
"Why did he tell you anway? Is your team flying us home?"
"Yes, only the best have been chosen for this mission."
"Will it be the whole team?" I wondered, holding my breath.
"Everyone but Kai. Dazna will be taking his place on this one. Sorry, Daisy."
"Oh, it's not your fault." I half smiled.
"Does Kai know you're leaving?"
"Yes, I told him last night. I think that's why he stayed with me until this morning." My voice trembled.
"Oh, sweetie, don't cry. Everything will work out in the end, stay strong."
"I'm sorry, it's just hard, you know? I don't know if I'll cope without you guys on Earth."
"Hey, you don't have to go, Daisy. If you want to stay, don't worry about Kai, I'll sort him out."
As appealing as her offer was, I knew in my heart that I was doing the right thing, no matter how much it felt like it was shattering into a billion pieces.
"I've got to go, Kiara. As long as you keep him on the straight and narrow while I'm gone, I should be alright." I lied.
I definitely wouldn't be alright, no matter what they did, but I didn't want to upset Kiara so I kept my true feelings to myself.
"Don't you worry, I'll kick him into shape and the day you return he'll be a different man."
Here's to wishful thinking, I thought, knowing that Kai would be a tough nut to crack.
"Can I stop by later? I'm just going to see Haldon amd Emrys at the medical centre but I was hoping we could have a chat afterwards?"
"Yes, absolutely. Just send me a message when you're on your way."
"Ok, thanks, Kiara, see you later."
It felt good to speak to Kiara. She always knows what to say and I knew one hundred percent that I'd miss her the most when I was back on Earth - well, after Kai that is.
The ground was still thick with snow and as I pulled up to the medical centre, I quickly jumped out of the shuttle.
Being my usual, clumsy self, I slipped and landed in a heap when my feet hit the ground.
Luckily, there was no one around, keeping me from glowing like a tomato from embarrassment.
I scrambled to my feet and dusted myself off before carefully making my way inside.
Instead of heading to Emrys' room, I stopped at Haldon's office first. I wanted to make sure that he'd let Emrys go before giving him the good news.
After knocking on his door, I patiently waited for him to let me in.
"Ahh, Daisy, come in." He smiled, opening the door.
Before I could even sit down, he mentioned that he'd just got off a call with Kordin.
"Was he asking about Emrys by any chance?"
"Indeed he was." He said before sitting down. "So you're going back home then?"
"That's the plan. I can't stay here, not right now anyway. Do you think that Emrys has made enough progress to go too?" I asked nervously.
Haldon sighed, a slight frown line on his forehead but he nodded. "Yes, I think he should be fine. Without you here, he will most likely spiral out of control so his best option will be to stay with you."
A thought crossed my mind, something that I hadn't even thought of until now, but it got me thinking straight away.
"Will we have to live together?"
Haldon looked like he was hiding a smile as he nodded. "That's the plan. I'm not so confident that he'll cope alone. Would that be an issue?"
I thought about it for a moment.
"No, not really. I enjoy his company and I think he enjoys mine, and I suppose it makes sense when you think about it."
"Wonderful." Haldon smiled.
"Does he know that he's going home yet?"
"No, he has no idea. Would you like to go and give him the good news?"
A wide, toothy smile formed at the thought and I was a little bit excited to see his reaction. "Yes, I'd love to."
"Do you mind if I come too? It would give me great pleasure to see him smile." Haldon chuckled.
"No, not at all." I chuckled too as we both stood to our feet.
Walking up to Emrys' room, Haldon looked down with a slight grin.
"Did you hurt yourself outside?"
Stopping in my tracks, I looked up at him as my cheeks began to glow. "You saw?"
"I did, yes. In my office, I get an alert whenever someone arrives, and a camera outside shows any movement." He smirked.
"And there's me thinking I'd got away unseen." I looked down at the ground, shaking my head.
"Don't worry, I've seen people slip with a lot less elegance than you. I've done it myself once or twice, but your secret is safe with me, I won't tell anyone."
I looked up at him and we both laughed at my expense. "Thanks." I muttered, before we continued with our walk to see Emrys.
He was wide awake when we got to his room and he seemed alot happier than he usually did.
"Morning." I smiled, stepping inside.
"Good morning. What are we doing today? I had so much fun yesterday and I slept like a baby last night too." He chuckled.
"There's one thing we could do, but it won't be until this evening or possibly tomorrow." I grinned.
"I'm listening." He smiled. "You definitely have my attention."
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how he'd take the news, glancing over at Haldon and he nodded with a smile, reassuring me that he'd be fine.
I looked at Emrys and blew out a breath. "Would you like to go home?"
His smile dropped instantly, eyes wider than the moon and he stared at me for a moment as he thought about what I'd said.
"When you say home?" He muttered.
"I mean home. Fly in a spaceship and land on Earth." I beamed.
"Oh my god." He whispered. "Oh my god! I'm going home?" He yelled, louder than I expected.
"We, are going home." I laughed lightly, thrilled by his reaction.
"You're coming too?" He squeeled, and I properly laughed at his excitement.
"Yes."
He ran towards me, squeezing me tightly as he lifted me up and spun me around.
"This is the best day of my life."
After a few minutes, Emrys calmed down, sitting on his bed with a permanent smile.
"Hey, Haldon, thanks for looking after me."
I burst into laughter and turned to face Haldon. He had a grin on his face that he struggled to hide, nodding at Emrys. "Don't mention it."
"So we're leaving today?" He turned to face me.
"I'm not exactly sure. Kordin is working on it as we speak and he said he'd let me know later."
"You have no idea how happy this makes me. I'm over the moon."
Haldon left after a short while, delighted that Emrys took the news so well but I stayed for a little bit longer, answering as many queations as I could.
"So, let me get this straight." Emrys began. "We don't know where we're going, we will be living together but we don't know what kind of house we will have, we don't know our financial situation, we don't know when you get to come back here, or whether Kai will even want you when you return and we don't know if we'll have jobs or anything?"
We stared at each other for a moment, realising the bizarre situation that we had found ourselves in.
"That's right." I mumbled, before we both fell into laughter.
"I do hope these aliens know what they're doing." Emrys chuckled.
"Lets call it an adventure and see where it takes us."
After spending a couple of hours with Emrys, I knew that I had to go and see Kiara.
"I'll be back later with an update." I smiled, hugging him at the door.
"I can't wait. This really is the best day ever."
After I'd left Emrys, I sent Kiara a message, letting her know that I was on my way.
Sitting in the shuttle, I couldn't figure out which emotion was the most dominant.
My heart was in pieces at the thought of leaving but at the same time, seeing Emrys on top of the world and full of excitement made it swell with happiness.
I sat back and closed my eyes, preparing myself for the next round of tears. If I was going to see Kiara, they were bound to resurface whether I wanted them to or not.
_______________________________________
That was an emotional rollercoaster wasn't it?
What did you think of Emrys' reaction? Do you think Daisy will cope without Kai or do you think she'll be an emotional wreck?
You may have noticed that I've changed the story cover since the last update. What do you think? I'm still not sure..
And as always, thank you so much for the comments/votes, they really encourage me to keep writing and I appreciate them tremendously.
P.S. If you haven't already, add my story to your reading list so you'll be notified when new updates are posted ❤😊